Corner-brace for trays, boxes, and the like.



J. GOURVILLE.

CORNER BRAOE FOR TRAYS, BOXES, A ;ND THE LIKE.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 17, 1911.

I Patented July 9, 1912.

JULIUS COURVILLE, or FRANKFURT, MICHIGAN.

CORNER-BRACE FOR TRAYS, Boxns, AND THE LIKE.

Applicationfiled June 17-; 1911.

Specification of Letters Patent."

l'Qatented July 9, 1912.

Serial No. 633,757.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULrUs CoURvILLE, a citizen of the. United States of America, and resident of Frankfort, in the county of Benzie and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corner-Braces for Trays, Boxes, and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to corner'brackets or protecting stripsfor trays, boxes and the like and the invention relates particularly to such attachments for trays designed for use in incubator or fruit picking trays, although I do not wish to be limited with respectto its use.

An object of this invention is to produce a corner brace or protector for. trays, each corner piece comprising a single piece of metal so stamped and bent as to embrace portions of the contiguous side walls of a tray whether the said tray be square or rectangular, the said corner brace being effective to retain the sides and ends of the tray in proper relation to each other without the use of nails. 'orfastenings which are embedded in the said sides and ends extending from one to the other.

With the foregoing'and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and 1 combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and-claimed.

In describing theinvention in detail, reference will be had to [the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification wherein like oharacters'denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which F igure 1 illustrates a view in perspective of a fragment of a tray with a corner brace applied thereto; Fig. 2 illustrates a plan view of the blank from which the'corner brace is formed, the sa-id' blank being cut to permit its being bent into appropriate shape;"Fig. 3.illustrates a perspective View of the" blank shown in Fig. 2 after it has been bent; Fig. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the corner brace shown in Fig. 3 in the next advanced step of 1ts format on; Fig. 5 illustrates a transverse sectlonal view:

of the fraginent'of the crate shown in Fig.

. 1; Fig. 6 illustrates a plan view of a blank for producing a slightly modified form of corner brace; Fig. 7 illustrates a perspective view showing the blank shown in Fig.

- 6 bent as an advanced step in the formation of a corner brace; Fig. 8 illustrates a perspective of a complete corner brace formed from the blank shown in Fig. 6, the said Fig. 8 showing the corner brace upside down as compared with the corner brace shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 9 illustrates a further modified blank for producing a slightly difierent form of corner brace; and Fig. 10 illustrates a perspective View of the corner brace formed from the blank shown in Fig. 9.

In these drawings 15 denotes a metal plate which is preferably triangular and has a slot 16 extending longitudinally thereof from one end and terminating at a point near its longitudinal center, the inclined end of the said slot being of approximately triangular form.

In the formation of a corner brace such as is shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the blank 15 is bent on the lines 17 and 18 to produce a partially completed corner brace such as is shown in Fig. 3, the-triangular end of the slot forming the notch 19 in the corner brace as shown in Fig. 3. Inorder to complete the corner brace and to bring the embracing portions thereof at rightangles to each other, or approximately so, the blank 15 is bent on the line 20 so that the completed,

corner brace will have the configuration shown in Figs. 1 and 4, so that the wings or embracing portions thereof will fit over and embrace the side 21 and the end 22 of a tray, the said corner brace being secured to the tray by fastenings such as rivets 28 extending through the parallel portions of the corner brace and through the portion of the tray which they embrace.

In-Figsfi, 7, and 8, I have illustrated a modified construction in which the blank 24 has a slit 25 extending longitudinally thereof from one end and. terminating in an angular aperture 26 intermediate the length of the blank andnear the longitudinal center thereof. In this last mentioned form, the blank is bent on the line 27 to form the lip 28 which extends at an angle to the face applied to the sides and ends of a tray and is used in a manner in which the corner brace, shown Figs. 1 and 4 is used. In Figs. 9 and 10 there is shown a further modified as compared with the disclosure of the invention heretofore made.

' In this last mentioned disclosure, the blank ing across-the space between the parallel portions 41 and of the corner brace, the said extending portion 39 .being designed to be interposed between an end of one side of the tray and the side surface of the adjoining side of the tray, thus forming a protection for the said side and preventing chafing thereof when the parts are assembled without the use of fastenings, such as 23.

From what has been said and from an inspection of. the drawing, it will be understood that a very strong and durable corner brace may be made in the .manner illustrated by metal which is stamped from: a-single piece thus enabling the manufactu'reof such corner strips without waste of material and' without the use of expensive machinery or material.

blankand a corner brace respectively which is -.saidopening, to permit bending of the said blank in a line longitudinally thereof from the lower edge thereof to the said opening,

' the said blank being doubled on itself longitudinally to form parallel embracing portions standing at angles to each other and one end of one of said embracing portions extending beyond the edge of the contiguous side of thecorner brace.

2. In a corner brace for trays, a blank I having a triangular opening approximately centrally thereof, the said blank being separated longitudinally from one end thereof to the said opening," to permit bending'of the said blank in a line longitudinally thereof, from the lower edge thereof to said opening, the said blank being doubled on itself longitudinally to form parallel embracing portions standing at angles ,to eachother, and one of said embracing members being bent to form a lip, and the said 'lip adapted to overlie a portion ,of the contiguous side of the corner brace. a

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS COURVILLE. Witnesses B. W. SNIDER, GEORGE Wnrrnnox. 

